430 VS older ferraris

I have a gated 430 and a F512M..the 430 is more agile by a long way, keener to turn in, more delicate to steer on throttle, lighter on its feet by a considerable distance. It has around 40hp more, and is lighter than the M, which itself is the lightest of the Testa/TR/M range due to weight savings inside and outside the engine. And it is, and feels, faster.

If you want an even nimbler car, there's the Scuderia, which is astonishing.

The F512M could never be called nimble..and yet it has something special, a blend of flat 12 and no power steering and no Spring loading on the gearbox...and it does fly when you want it to.

But the 430 is a very fleet of foot car. It feels much lighter than the M, even though the difference is not massive.

 

While the 430 is indeed about 3 inches taller, it will beat the pants off the TR in every performance measurement. It's 4.3 liter V8 even makes 110 more horses than the 4.9 liter 12 cylinder.

https://www.auto-data.net/en/ferrari-testarossa-4.9-i-v12-48v-380hp-6563

https://www.auto-data.net/en/ferrari-430-4.3-i-v8-32v-490hp-6540

Is that "nimble" enough for you?

 

Well, it's not a big car like you keep saying. It's nowhere near the girth of a GT car. It's also lightweight, and has all the right bits and pieces underneath. It's also far from not being a driver's car. I call it my anti-autonomus car. Even with the F1, it's still total driver involvement and a blast to drive. And, you get the added bonus of it being civil in the city and daily driver worthy. I suggest you test drive one the first chance you get, and you will understand.

 

Cars are bigger now,
Look at a 911 from 30 yrs ago compared to today. But it’s technology and engineering that makes them nimble, not size. Although I can see how a twisty road lane might seem narrower in a bigger car. Go to a track and you won’t notice it.

 

I have a 2008 F430 which I drive most weekends on a twisty mountain road. The car is extremely nimble; it turns in fast and holds a line in corners exceptionally well. It gives the driver extraordinary feedback via the wheel. It's literally a delight to drive, producing an incredible chorus, especially at 7,000+ RPM under throttle. It does not feel like a large car at all.

 

I had a chance about 15 years back to buy a 512M (from a make money on a car standpoint I should have), and after driving it on both the highway and some local roads I passed. I thought it was a beautiful car, 1st gear was sort of a rolling gear just to get it moving. It was many things, nimble was not one of them. Some cars feel smaller once you start driving them, others (like the TR/C7 to name a couple) feel bigger. The 430 is certainly not the most nimble car in the world, but it is definitely not a GT car (nor does its stance make me think of it as one). I also have a very modified 997S, a modified 4C and a stock Evora 400. I will not go into how the 430 handles in comparison, but I bet most people would say if they saw them all sitting together that the 430 must be the best handling of the 4. Maybe someday I will write a detailed description of the differences between them.

 

My 2008 430 handled really well. What was surprising is that the car seemed to come "alive" the harder you drove it. The car never felt "heavy" nor did you get excessive body roll. Then I bought a 458.......

Sorry I deviated from your original question as I don't have an early Ferrari to compare it to.

 

Not sure the F430 is significantly bigger at all. It is only 1 inch longer and 2 inches narrower. Height, yes, 3 inches, but I wouldn't be surprised if its center of gravity is actually much closer. I don't have figures on that though.

Testarossa
Wheelbase 2,550 mm (100.4 in)
Length 4,485 mm (176.6 in)
Width 1,976 mm (77.8 in)
Height 1,130 mm (44.5 in)

Ferrari F430
Wheelbase 102.4 in (2,601 mm)
Length 177.6 in (4,511 mm)
Width 75.7 in (1,923 mm)
Height Coupe: 47.8 in (1,214 mm) Spider: 48.6 in (1,234 mm)

 

The 430 is a sportscar and the TR is a grand tourer. Of course the 430 is going to be more nimble. Also, these two cars are from different eras. Back in the '80s, cars weren't nearly as sporty as modern cars. For example, my 308 handled like an old Cadillac until I replaced the stock suspension with aftermarket coilovers.

 

And if someone said to me I had to choose between my gated 430 and my F512M to do a day's driving on twisty roads, I'd choose...uh..I'd choose..

I don't know what I choose. The 430 is better, for sure, and faster. It's probably more woo-hoo fun as well. (And the 458 is even more of those things, albeit no gated shift). But the F512M is more...special. Satisfying. Memorable. And it's got nothing to stop you from spinning and dying, except yourself. There's definitely more feel in the M, even though the 430 has more steering feel than most newer-generation Ferraris.

I've pushed the rear out with the throttle on the 430 a couple of times in Race mode, and it's exciting and light and makes you think you're caught it yourself when in fact it's the E-diff doing the tricks.

I've kicked the rear out once, just once, on the M, just a tiny bit, second gear, just to test it...and I'm just about still here. But it was a life-affirming experience.

I'm still not sure what I'd take on that theoretical twisty road day. The 430 would be more fun at first. The M would be more satisfying in the end. The width of the M (same with the testarossa) is a pain on tight twisties, those 2 inches make a difference when you have a truck bearing down the other way and a barrier on the kerbside.

 

When I drive my TR, I put on a robe and bring a cigar and glass of brandy. When I drive my F430, I put on the driving shoes.

 

Other than height, the dimensions are not that significantly different.

Did you get that info from the links I shared earlier? Also of note, the 430 is about 300 pounds lighter than the TR. Lighter = more nimble

 

My apologies, I did not see the links. I just did a Google search for f430 length weight height and it actually came up pre filtered right at the top.

Would be interesting to know the difference in center of gravity. I have not driven a testerossa so hard to compare. However I can't speak highly enough of the f430 such a nice mechanical and visceral yet modern enough car.

Even at low speed it keeps things exciting by sort of reminding you subtly that it is a bit of a dragon...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

Different cars for sure, but no questions on which one is more nimble or has the better handling... 430 hands down.

There is actually one big problem on the Flat-12 family and is the high center of gravity.. as they have the big engine sitting very high on top of the gearbox.
That's also the main reason why for example the 512BB never made a good race car.

Then on the 430 you have the active suspensions, an awesome steering and the magic from the E-Diff.
I've never driven a 430, but my 360 (same suspensions, chassis and steering but conventional LSD) handlingwise is another planet compared to a Testarossa.
Yeah the TR and the M are better, but for sure not at the same level of a 360, so figure out compared to a 430.

Driving experience... that's another story.
The dogleg gearbox and the music from the Flat-12 are awesome.

 

Nat,

You bet my F430 gets me excited on twisty mountain roads, I'm sure you know the road to Alice's Restaurant in Woodside, being in the bay area, I've driven that several times already and will be my go to route when I want to let her stretch her legs properly.

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I know this is a 430 TR comparison thread but I think this is close enough.
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Seating position better if you’re a big guy in 430.